Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party is blaming main opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for the ongoing impasse in forming a unity
government. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa reportedly accused the MDC of prejudicing
the ongoing talks by trying to negotiate in public. The MDC
has described the ZANU-PF accusation as unfounded, adding that the ruling party
is reneging on its promise to equitably share power as stipulated in the
recently signed agreement.

Meanwhile, Zimbabweans are
reportedly expressing fear that the lack of a breakthrough in the talks could
further worsen the economic crisis with an inflation rate of about 11 million
percent.

Glen
Mpani is the regional coordinator for the Transitional Justice Program of the
Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa.
He tells reporter Peter Clottey the ruling party is not acting in good faith at
the ongoing negotiations.

"I think it is important
that we need to understand that the whole idea of blocking the publicity of
these negotiations was quite unreasonable, and I think it is the reason we are
where we are right now. The ZANU-PF reason for trying to gag the MDC not to
publicize what is going on is simply a way of trying to avoid international and
regional attention to their machinations to try and ensure that they hold on to
power using the allocation of ministries,"
Mpani noted.

He
said the ruling party is breaking its promise in the recently signed power
sharing agreement.

"If
you would remember the negotiation agreement was signed on the premise that
there was going to be a 50-50 power sharing, but ZANU-PF would want to renege on
the distribution of posts for governance. So basically, they would want to rake
in the MDC as an appendage of ZANU-PF rather than an equal partner in a
government of national unity," he said.

Mpani said the ruling ZANU-PF's accusation is
unfounded.

"The
assertion is not justified because we have got a background and a context to
the current crisis in Zimbabwe. It would be foolish on the part of ZANU-PF to
assume that they would want to control the ministries like Finance, and they
cannot also on to say they want to hold on to Home Affairs because they have
told the MDC that they are going to take the Security and the Army ministry and
that means they should also have to give the MDC Home Affairs ministry. So, I
think what is important is that the key ministries that ZANU-PF is refusing to
cede are the ones that are going to drive the process of reforming Zimbabwe,"
Mpani pointed out.

He
said the international community need to be reassured of stability in Zimbabwe
before any assistance is given to help resolve the country's economic crisis.

"For
regional and international players to start pouring money into the country or
to have confidence in the country, they need to see that there is a process of
reforming. Someone needs to be in charge that they can trust. The reason why
ZANU-PF is refusing to cede these ministries is one they are worried that if
Justice and Home Affairs goes to the MDC, they might be prosecuted for human
rights abuses that they have committed," he said.

Mpani
said the opposition MDC made a mistake by signing the power sharing agreement
with President Robert Mugabe's government before negotiations were concluded.

"They
(MDC) committed one of their worse errors in their political lives because
knowing fully well the political party that they were dealing with they should
not have signed the agreement without agreeing on key ministries and who was
going to get what. I think at this point in time just assuming that because
ZANU-PF has signed then all is well. That I think is too naïve because ZANU-PF
would always remain with another chip in the bag to ensure that they maintain
the reigns of power," Mpani noted.